I'm back! 42.6 pounds sexier!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I have been MIA this last week.  Life got busy and I was unable to get to my computer much.  This week really made up for last week!  I weighed in tonight and lost 4.4 pounds this week! That makes for 42.6 pounds GONE! I am stoked.  Just what I needed.  I was feeling blue this last week.  I was feeling discouraged and unmotivated.  I skipped the gym a few days and felt like I ate way too much.  Luckly, I continued to track and didn't go too far over my pointsplus.  

I am meeting with Jon tomorrow at the gym for my first official running training session.  I am excited and nervous.  I still am amazed by myself in the fact that I am determined to do this run.  Never in a million years would I have thought I would do it.  Now, it is NOT just a dream...It is real. 

Tonight the meeting was about friends.  We talked about how important it is to have friends in our lives that are supportive, motivating, and encouraging.  I want to give a special shout out to MY motivators....Emily, you are amazing.  You keep me motivated and I thank God that we met at WW that day.  You are truly an amazing woman and you look amazing! Meg, thank you for sharing your journey with me.  I admire your willpower and determination.  You have given our meeting so much hope and inspiration.  You are beautiful.  Kelli, thank you for getting me to join fitness19 with you.  Now, we will always have that "sisterly" bond! You are looking amazing and you motivate me.  Mom, I admire you in so many ways.  You have always been there for me through all the ups and downs.  Thank you for doing everything in your power to give me the best life possible.  I am truly blessed to have you as my mother.  Michael, Thank you for loving me for me.  You have shown me the meaning of true love and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.  I am so happy that you are now doing WW with me and you motivate me everyday.

There are many more of you....Thank you for all of your support.   

Like Emily, I have decided to post a few pictures of myself to keep me going.  Theses pictures are more for me than they are for you. 

 April 2009

 January 2009

 January 2009

March 2010

Have a happy and healthy week!

Yep, I got sessions!

So, I met with Jon the trainer (with no h!) at the gym today. He is quite the chatty and energetic person (half our session was chatting due to both of our chatty personalities!).  I felt totally comfortable while he weighed me and did the pinch test and all that (literally, he grabbed my fat and measured it, yikes!).  I made sure to note that I had already lost some weight and am just trying to step it up one notch at a time on this life long journey that I have started.  I went in to talk about my shin splints and ended up talking about a whole lot more!  We talked about running, shoes, working out, weddings (he is getting married soon too!), goals, and all that.  I think that he will be an amazing motivator for me.  He was 100% confident that I could make it through this 4 miles in May and thinks I can be down to about 190 pounds by my wedding too!  I ended up getting 4 sessions with him and we are gonna meet once a week for a month to start off.  He is going to teach me HOW to run.  It is more than just taking off and running, it is a science.

  

Today I woke up determined.  I woke up determined to make the best choices and have a good attitude.  I woke up and said "Damn girl, you look good!" Just like I said I would. 

ouch...

I forgot to tell you all about my trip to the gym today! I am actually really excited about it.

I had a few minutes to spare before weight watchers so I did a quick 15 minute mile on the treadmill.  My shin splints were REALLY sucking today so I decided to ask one of the trainers if he had any advice.  He refereed me to one of the other trainers who had just done some "gait" training and was a shin splint pro! He  has a passion for the art/science/form of running.  We chatted for 10 minutes about running and about me.  I told him I was VERY new to running and I am training for a 4 mile run in May.

He asked me to come back tomorrow for an hour long consultation with him.  He will be taking a look into how I run and my form!  He is looking for someone to mentor and was super psyched to meet with me tomorrow! He promised he would get me through my first run.

PS: These were the shoes he was wearing...WEIRD! (and he SWEARS by them!)

I am my worst critic

Happy One Year Weight Watcher Birthday to ME! (and Mom and Meg too!)

Well, I can't say that I am here to share awesome news with you this week. I am actually really down (or just really frickin' pissed!) about my week.  I had the goal to hit the big 40 this week but it just didn't happen. I tracked everything, I worked out 4 times this week, and I went in feeling great. I hopped on the scale and...

+0.8

Are you KIDDING ME? I wanted more that anything to just burst into tears.  This is the first week ever that I totally, completely thought I would lose.  And of course, everyone reminded me that week like this will "happen" and that maybe I was retaining water and so on...Luckily, my wonderful fiance texted me saying "Baby. Keep your head up. Next week will be better".  And then reminded me that it was "that time of the month" and next week the scale be my friend again.  After all of that said, I was still down in the dumps.  I know everyone is SO supportive but really....I AM MY WORST CRITIC.

My goal this week is NOT about loosing weight or exercising.  My goal this week is to STAY POSITIVE of my own self image.  I still look in the mirror and see a fat girl.  I FEEL good but I just don't see it.  I know that my weight loss is noticeable-Ive bought all new clothes! I am just not there yet.

This week I will be there.  I will look in the mirror and be proud.  I will look at me and say:

"Damn girl, keep it up!"

Here is a picture of me ONE YEAR AGO:

Here is me TODAY:

 

Tomorrow is a new day.

Look what weight watchers did to him...

Shredded Lettuce-Snack of Champions!

Hope this brings a little humor to your day! :)

Not havin' it today

I got up today at 9am and was feeling exhausted. I really think everything is catching up to me! I met Kelli at the gym and walked the treadmill for 30 minutes.  I am actually feeling pretty guilty about the whole thing, I should be on there at least 45 minutes if I am not running.  I just wasn't havin' it today.  But, I think I will head out for another walk around Como Park today...I am loving the sunshine!

I got some good grocery shopping done yesterday.  I FINALLY found the POPchips (Cub in Roseville) I drool over...they seem to be really hard to find!  Michael and I are addicted to the salt and vinegar kettle chips...they are NOT WW friendly! These POPchips definitely do the trick! They are SO yummy and are only 3 points a serving (22 chips). That's awesome!

3 points for 22 chips! Salty and Delish!

When I got home I was excited to make something yummy.  I looked through the cupboards and decided on Whole wheat pasta with broccoli and pesto! Plus, apples and strawberries...yum!  Once I got it all made up and calculated, I was suprised to find that my whole lunch was only 8 points! 2oz of cooked whole wheat pasta (5 points), 2tbsp Pesto (3 points), Broccoli (0), Strawberries (0), and Apples (0)! And boy, I am stuffed! I think I could have cut the pasta in half. It was SO good. I would highly recommend it!

Whole wheat pasta, broccoli, and pesto! 8 points!

I am looking forward to a fun night for Jeannie's birthday tonight and going to the wedding fair with my mom tomorrow! I think we will be looking at new running shoes too! I will keep you all posted...have a great day!

“The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” -Marvin Phillips

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Totally rocked the new playlist this morning! I met Sara at the community center and hit up the treadmill! I walk/ran every other song for the 40 minutes and it was awesome! I walked at 3.7 and ran at 5.2.  Total of 3 miles! AND 400 calories :) After that, we cooled down on the bike for 15 more minutes.  I biked 2 miles! SO, i totaled 5 miles today! Heck yes!

I LOVE seeing those cals burn!

 

Bike ride cool down!

 

I am really starting to LOVE the gym. I feel so good after...I am so psyched and motivated for the race in may!

 

When I got home I cooked up another weird/random dinner.  Again, it was AMAZING. I love making up random dinners!  I took 2 Wasa crackers (my new fav), added a little tomato sauce, turkey pepperoni, and cut up some Laughing Cow Cheese and baked at 400 for 7 minutes. Total of 5 points!  

 

5 point Wasa Pizza!

(The cheese didn't melt but it was warm and delish!)

Still not sure if I will be doing any celebrating for St. Patty's Day tonight.  I find that beer just isn't worth the points anymore! If you are out, be safe and enjoy!

My new Running Playlist!

I just got a little crazy on itunes but I thought I would share my new playlist! It is 40 minutes of music and I think it will be perfect! I am super excited to hit the gym in the morning. Here it is...

• Georgia Clay-Josh Kelley (perfect brisk warm up song)
• S & M-Rihanna (this song PUMPS me up!)
• Born This Way-Lady Gaga
• We R Who We R-Ke$ha
• My Kinda Party-Jason Aldean
• Tik Tok-Ke$ha
• Whatcha Say-Jason Durulo
• California Gurls-Katy Perry and Snoop
• This Afternoon-Nickleback
• Rain is a Good Thing-Luke Bryan
• Lover, Lover-Jerrod Niemann (great cool down!)

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

This is my FAVORITE. Take a listen :)

Ahh, Water Aerobics!

That's the first thing that came to mind, huh?!

 

But really, this class was NOT just for our grandmas and grandpas! It was an awesome workout! I met my friends Sara, Diane, and Debbie at the community center for a 1 hour water aerobics class.  We were given these funny little glove things that looked like this...

 

Adds resistance!

 

We followed along with the instructor for the hour and I was totally sweating! Not what I expected. I would really like to do it again!

Post Swim! Diane, Debbie, Sara, and Me!

 

Also, I talked to my mom today and she is going to buy me a new pair of running shoes for an early birthday present! I am really looking forward to them, I am hoping they get rid of my shin splints!

Anyone want to start my 5k training program with me? I made up a 10 week program and would love someone to join me! Also, thanks to all of you who emailed me with suggestions for the shin splints! Denise, I will have to take you up on learning how to tape them!

I am looking forward to another morning workout!

Read on, big news!

Well, after a gain of 0.4 pounds this week I decided it was time for a killer workout! I got to the gym, jumped on the treadmill and....OUCH! My shins were KILLING me. I have some major shin splint issues which makes it really hard to run. Here is what I ended up with...

I spent 36 minutes on the treadmill today. I ran/walked between a 3.7 and 5.2. Considering my pain, I think I did pretty darn good!

Feelin' good and still loving the post-workout glow!

Tomorrow morning I am headed to a water aerobics class with my friend, Sara at SCC. I am looking forward to my first group class! On Thursday, Sarah and I are doing a cycling class at LifeTime fitness with Nick May. I am scared for that one! Nick is also a really inspiring and motivating friend of mine.  He works for LifeTime in WBL so if you are interested in a membership there, please let me know! He can hook ya up!

SERINA'S BIG NEWS:

It's official...I will be running my first race on May 28, 2011 in Mason City, IA! I will be running the 4 mile 22nd Annual Stu Nevermann Memorial Run during Band Festival! Band Fest Info! 

If there is anyone that will be in town that weekend and would like to join me, please do! I know Michael and the crew will be cheering my on from the sidelines! I expect a full cheering squad :)

Anyway, back to today. Tonight's dinner was a totally random concoction of crap. I mean, it was good crap but my cupboards were bare and I just threw it together. It was a serving of spaghetti noodles with a homemade sauce.  The sauce was made of 2tbsp olive oil, chopped onion, garlic, and broccoli. 

It was awesome! I calculated it at about 13 points and it totally filled me up!

One more thing...I just have to share my new favorite snack.

ONLY 2 POINTS!

Take on crisp and spread the Laughing Cow cheese on top...SO yummy.

I SO enjoy these!

And remember...

"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"

Sometimes I feel like a "Weight Watcher" only 5 days a week

I hate the feeling that I am having right now.  It almost sickening.  I literally feel sick to my stomach.  I didn't track this week. I HATE not tracking.  I know my weekend was filled with some bad choices but I also know that the rest of the week was ok...I think.  But, weighing in tomorrow will be a totally surprise.  I have no idea what to expect.

I went to the gym tonight and I will tell you why.  I was feeling icky and went to my friend Emily's blog.  It totally motivated me to get off my butt and run! It is amazing what a simple glance at a web page can do for me.  She got me going! I will say though, I was only at the gym for a half hour.  I walked 2 miles and that's all. But at least I got there, right?

Weekends are so hard for me.  The lifestyle I live is very routine during the week but not so much on the weekends.  I like to go out with my friends and have a few drinks.  I like to lay in bed all day on sundays and munch my junky foods.  It sucks!  How do you stay a "weight watcher" all week without blowing it on the weekend?

But really, I want to thank you all so much for supporting me.  Everyday I get a simple message, facebook chat, email, or whatever from different people cheering me on.  It is SO important to me to have you all right there with me.  If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know. 

More to come later.

Happy Friday Everyone!

SO excited today! I started off my morning with a 2nd Weight Watchers meeting for the week! I finally have permission to talk about it on here-Michael joined too! Today was week 3 for him and he is down 12 pounds! I am SO proud of him and together I think we will kick some butt!

After the meeting, we headed to the Malt Shop for lunch (funny, i know!).  We made healthy choices and Michael even passed on the fries.  It amazes me that our bodies change so quickly and we crave more of the healthy things.  Pretty cool!

I made ground turkey tacos for dinner (he didn't even complain about the turkey!). They were yummy.

Anyway, short post but we are about to start a YAHTZEE tournament!

48 minutes, 3.2 miles, and 367 calories today! whoop!

Post workout glow...love it!

For Emily.

Today I got send home from work.  I have this stupid cough that just wont settle.  My lungs are on fire and I just cant catch a breath. But, I guess it gives me a good excuse to share with you "my breaking point".

I haven't really felt super emotional about my weight loss.  There are some WW meetings when my fellow weight watchers shed tears as they emotionally speak about their amazing weight loss. Sometimes they are happy tears and sometimes they are struggling tears.  I guess the only tears I have had about my weight over the years where just "fat tears".  When I looked in the mirror and felt miserable.  

Today, I sat down and cried.

I have had people following my blog and my facebook that have commented and shared with me that I am motivational to them. I just can't believe that! It makes me feel SO amazing that people are looking to ME for motivation.  I used to be the girl that would go out with my skinny friends when they needed a "fat" day.  I would eat with them. Now, I can be the girl that my friends want to WORK OUT with and cook with! That is so cool.

Anyway, the tears came as I read my WW friend Emily's blog post called Inspiration.  In this post she says...

 

Dear Serina,
I appreciate you more than you know!! Thank you so much for your inspiration, your positive energy, and your belief in me all the time.  I honestly didn't even know that I had 1 1/2 mile jog in me.  Old Emily wouldn't have even tried.  You inspire me.
Love,
Emily

 

Then, she goes on to say:

 

"To all my other friends, I hope you have a Serina that helps keep you going.  And to my other supports, thank you for all you do. :-)"

 

 Is she talking about ME? SERIOUSLY, ME??

Dear Emily,
You have NO idea how much you have changed my life in the last 9(ish) months that I have known you.  YOU inspire ME everyday.  You and Meg are MY rock. You keep ME going.  Old Serina would have quit WW by now.  Old Serina would have fallen off the wagon.  Old Serina would still be obese.  Old Serina would have stopped trying.  Thank you for your support and thank you for being there for me.  You are beautiful and inspiring.  Thank you for being you.  
Love,
Serina 

 

PS: I knew the day that we met we would become awesome friends. Let's keep kickin' fat ass!

I just had to share one more pic of us with the beautiful bride!

Another 2 pound week!

Yes! Despite the pizza and hot dog mac & cheese...I managed to lose 2 pounds this week!  That reminds me that it's ok to have bad days and it's ok to eat what I want! In moteration of course!

Here is my weekly weigh in to prove it!

I am SO close to hitting the 40 pounds mark...I still am in awe with myself. I can't believe I have come this far! For once, I had made MYSELF my priority.  I can't believe all the support I have out there too.  I have a huge team rooting for me and I wish I could tell you all how much you mean to me.  You all really help me keep going!

I am off to bed early so not much else to share tonight.  I came down with a stupid cold and cough so bed is really calling my name! Ill leave you with this...(from SHAPE mag)

Have a healthy Wednesday!

Feeling Sick and Guilty.

So, I work up yesterday with a really sore throat.  I chugged water all day and had a whole bag of cough drops.

Today wasn't any better.  It's weird but when I have a sore throat the only thing that seems to make it feel better is food or liquids.  That is probably just the "fat girl" in me making excuses.  

Last night, Michael and I got Little Ceaser's Pizza. Bad Choice #1.  I went over on my points but I was OK with it.  I was determined to make today better.  I had a great day at work and had 20 points still left for dinner.  BUT, when I got home, the only thing that looked appetizing was a box of Mac and Cheese-Bad Choice #2.  I made it and ate the whole thing.  I even threw a Turkey Dog in there.  With that, my dinner was a whopping 25 points.  Only 5 over but I already used all (plus some) flex this week.

It was just one of those moments when the "Fat Girl" in me was weak.

We will see how weigh in goes tomorrow.  I will let you know!

I have to remind myself to just take it one day at a time.

Congrats Lindsay and Nick Arth!

Happy Sunday!

Just wanted to make a quick post about Lindsay and Nick's wedding last night!  It was beautiful and we had an amazing time! I allowed myself a few glasses of wine and a delicious dinner.  Salad, chicken breast, and veggies (and a piece of cake!)! I made sure to save some bonus points so I could not worry about it. We also got some dancing in at the reception. Turns out that I am the one that is going to need to take lessons...Michael surprised me with his moves :)

Anyway, Ill come back to post later...we are off to look at some town-homes today! Have a fun and healthy day!

Quick pic before we were off to celebrate!

Don't bother

Good morning everyone! Just a quick post...

I work up this morning and decided to make my favorite breakfast! English muffin, egg white, and cheese sandwich!

Doesn't it look delish?! 5 pointsplus :)

BUT, today we have a problem...

I did a little grocery shopping last night at Target.  I don't usually get my groceries there but I was not in the mood to go to Cub so I picked up a few things.  They did not have the sliced cheese I normally get so I decided to try this.

ICKY! It is NOT delish at all.  I am SO disappointed.  It is only one point per slice but is SO NOT WORTH IT!

Have you found foods that are so not worth it? Please share!

Sometimes I need that extra push and shove

Sometimes I need to stop and look back at the girl I USED to be.  I need that extra reminder to keep myself going. Why am I doing this? This is why...

Here is a picture of me during the 2009 Vikings Season...

Here is a picture of my during the 2010 Vikings season...

THAT is why I choose to keep going.

Don't forget to look back...It might give you the extra push it gives me!

It's what's for lunch!

I thought I would share with you all what I LOVE to have for lunch! Usually I make a turkey sandwich with lettuce, onion, pickles, and olive oil mayo but today I decided to switch it up.

Roasted Veggies, Diet Coke, and some fresh fruit!

Whole meal-4 points! NICE!

These veggies are THE BEST. I just take a bag of the frozen California medley (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots" and throw them in a pan. Add half a package of fresh mushrooms, half an onion, 2 tables spoons of balsamic vinaigrette, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a little garlic salt! Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes! YUMMY!

What do you make for work lunches? I am open to trying new things! I need something simple and easy. I also like to stay low on points so I can be more flexible with dinner!

And remember...

"If you KINDA do it, it will KINDA work. If you REALLY do it, it will REALLY work!

I DID IT! ONE MILE BABY!

I did it. ONE MILE WITHOUT STOPPING! Seriously, this is a huge deal for me.  Never in my whole life have I ran a mile without stopping! And in 13 minutes...HECK YEAH!

I took the second mile slow BUT I still cant believe I kept going! 2 miles, 30 minutes, 316 calories, and HUGE BOOST OF CONFIDENCE!

I was telling my mom last night about running the "mile" in middle and high school.   I was the queen of getting out of it.  I always managed to get sick, forget my bra, and every other excuse in the books!  My senior year of high school my gym teacher was flippin' awesome! Ill never forget what he said to me on mile day.  "Hey Serina, Did you forget your shoes again?" HECK ya I did (well, not really..but I just rolled with it!).  He wrote me a pass to study hall.  Now that I look back, it is really embarrassing.  But, I hated the way I looked and felt. 

But today I did it.

And I can't wait to do it again.

Cookie Tuesday

So, here is how my "weigh in" Tuesday started...

Good morning Cowern Staff...here is a zillion cookies to start off your morning! Crap. I managed to stuff 2 in my mouth before even thinking about it.  I wish I could say I avoided the table but I didn't.  After my weekend filled with junk...I thought "what the hell, I screwed up enough anyway".  

At my meeting that night I was up 0.4 pounds.  I could have been WAY worse.  After the fun weekend, I can say that it was totally worth it.  Just means it is time to get back on track!

Most Tuesday nights I go out with my mom after my meeting. We usually say that it is my "cheat night" because I just weighed in.  This week I was determined to make it a "ww night".  We headed to Chili's for come chips and salsa and fajitas!

I LOVE these...even better with a side of ranch! (not ww friendly!)

Mom and I both ate half and brought the rest home for tomorrow's lunch.  After eating, I rounded the pointsplus to about 19.

I am ready to kick some butt this week.  Keep spreading the news about the blog...I love how many are reading! Let me know if you have any questions :)